There is more than one way to discuss obesity, and the recent ad by the medicine company Lilly is proof. It shows the impact that just 30 seconds of a sensible, sincere conversation can have.
The ad features sisters Supriya Pathak and Ratna Pathak Shah. It starts on a lighter note, set in a familiar setting of a family party. When it’s time to take a group photo, a young girl jokingly tells the photographer to capture her from a distance, or she won’t “fit in the frame”. And that’s when India’s favourite acting legends jump in.
Supriya, who has been vocal about her struggles with weight in the past, starts the dialogue by sharing her experience. “Obesity is not a joke. It is a chronic disease,” adds Ratna.
What stands out in the ad is not its theme, but that it chooses to identify obesity as a “disease”, as something that is out of one’s control. It highlights that obesity, more often than not, has an underlying reason, and that one must see a doctor to find out more.
The video keeps the brand and its weight-loss medications in the background. It treads carefully, gauging Indian audiences’ views on weight-loss drugs, a relatively novel concept in the country. Most Indians are still sceptical of the drugs, so the ad allows them to take that first step. It encourages you to ask someone you trust whether or not the medicine is the best option.
The ad is part of Lilly India’s larger campaign, which uses science to back its claims instead of simply cashing in on shame. The American pharmaceutical giant has been positioning itself for the past year as a reliable face in India’s booming obesity drug market.
But Lilly’s approach to obesity is not strategic alone. It is also emotional. The brand is opening the door to a weight loss conversation. The YouTube bio features links to research papers from institutions such as the World Health Organisation and Columbia University.
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Past campaigns
Earlier this year, the company took out a front-page ad in the Times of India, in which a woman makes a New Year’s resolution.
The ad featured an open letter with a blank signature, encouraging audiences to write their own names. With lines such as “I won’t carry shame or guilt into another year” and “This year, I’ll choose to understand my body better”, Lilly urged people to speak to a medical professional.
Previous ads included advice and explanations by doctors on how certain food groups or existing medical conditions can impact an individual’s ability to lose weight.
Lilly is not the only pharmaceutical company to launch its obesity campaign in recent months. Emcure Pharmaceuticals launched its ‘Winning Over Obesity’ campaign in December 2025, and Cipla started its ‘Win Over Weight’ campaign this month. The development comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the nation to take a pledge to eradicate obesity in August 2025, warning citizens that it was becoming a “silent crisis” in India.
But the central theme in all of Lilly’s weight loss campaigns remains the same: “It’s time for a real change in weight loss conversation.”
While Ratna and Supriya’s ad has not garnered a lot of media attention, it is a refreshing break in a world obsessed with ever-increasing weight loss fads such as diet. The campaign shifts the conversation away from personal failures and redirects it to biology.
Brand: Lilly India
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(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)